"Ah, Rui, why did you have to give away my position? I was only passing through!" A voice that sounded utterly resigned rang out, and a frail-looking middle-aged man with yellow-green hair emerged from the woods, followed by a Kricketune.
"Hmph, Aburame Yan, after all these years, you're still just as phony!" A cold snort suddenly rang out, the voice alone conveying a fiery temper. Then, with a thud, a middle-aged man whose fiery red hair stood up like steel needles leaped straight down from the cliff on the right, alongside a Blaziken.
"Shiranui Tianchi, if you're so genuine, why did you wait until after me to crawl out of your little hiding place?" Aburame Yan shot back, refusing to give an inch.
"You..." Shiranui Tianchi's eyes widened, and even his gray irises seemed to flicker with flames.
"Senior Tianchi, Senior Yan, please put your anger aside for now. After all, aren't we gathered here for the Fairy Plate? Until then, surely we can set everything else aside?" As the conciliatory voice rang out, two balls of flesh rolled out of the Stone Forest on the left. Only when everyone looked closely did they realize it was a tall, fat man and a Hariyama.
"The little fatty from the Heart Fist family has a point!" A hard, stiff voice rang out, and a short, skeletal middle-aged man with cropped brown hair emerged from the woods alongside a Sudowoodo.
"I agree with Senior Yamazaki Shuo and Fatty Luo too. Harmony brings wealth!" Another fat man emerged from the Stone Forest. Unlike Heart Fist Luo, who was both tall and fat, this man was short and squat. Yet his neck, wrists, and fingers were laden with gold, silver, and jewels. He smiled at everyone he saw, his eyes narrowing almost to slits,